Many different types of water evaporation apparatuses, systems and methods are already known for diverse purposes such as trcating waste water or in humidifiers. One example is the forced air evaporator which utilise blowers to force air in a counter current to a spray of water pumped to the top of a column and free falling downward. This type of evaporator is cost effective and highly efficient when the waste water to be evaporated is preheated by another process, and where the waste water does not contain volatile compounds that would be readily transferred to the air and thereby create or air pollution. However this type of evaporator is not recommended for water having high dissolved or suspended solids content as the solids deposit on the internals of the evaporator and block the water flow.
Another type of evaporator is the boiler. This is a relatively simple apparatus in which water is heated to its boiling point typically by the burning of a fossil fuel in a chamber immediately below a tank holding the water. As the water boils steam is generated which is exhausted via an exhaust pipe. This type of evaporator is relatively inefficient in terms of energy use as the heat generated goes not only into boiling of the water but also into the heating of the apparatus itself and the surrounding area. Further if the waste water contains dissolved or suspended solids, the efficiency rapidly decreases as the solids settle on the bottom of the tank forming an insulating layer between the source of heat and the water. Also, unless the boiler is properly maintained, the solids bake onto the bottom of the tank and are difficult to remove and also promote corrosion of the tank leading to early tank failure.
Another type of evaporator used for evaporating water in a drum or vessel comprises a band type electric heating element which is wrapped around the outside of the drum. This type of evaporator is also energy inefficient as it not only heats the water itself to cause evaporation but also the drum and the surrounding area. Further it creates a safety hazard for any person accidentally touching the outside of the drum.